Variable-speed-transmission gear.



NoQsssSae.- V PATEN'INII IIINB 25, 19o?.v

VARIABLE SPEND TRANSMISSION SEAN.

APPLICATION FILED AP'BW. 1907.

NIINIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIlliunmuunnnl.-

UNITED STATES IirIEIvIfv OFFICE.

PATRICK F. FOLEY, oF NEW Yoann. Y.

VARIABLE-SpeisownANsivnssloN GEAR.

"Sjpecication ofLettersTtent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Appnmanned April. 1907. seran ma. 366,620.

To all whom ti'lmaygeo com: r1 Beit knownfthat' citizen ofthe`United-Stat e s,i

EDLE?? a Gearfor'Automob which the Vfollowing in conneotionfwithkttransmission gear for automobiles an 'iy for other purposesandrel'efsespecially totransmissionv gear .of this .character bywhich' theower'is transmitted' by belts or other iiexiF le connectors'and s urV,or Qther" toothed gearing corresponding y displaced.`

In the accompanying drawings showing an' illustrative .embodiment ofthisfinvention in4 which'. the same reference numeral refers to similarparts' in the'said-figures, Figure 1f is an elevation. Fig.; 2' isatransversesection substantially along-the line `2--2 of Fig. 1.. Fig.3' is atransverse detail alongthe `line 3 3 .offFigL Fig. f4 is atransverse detail along the line 44-4 ofFi 2.

' In' the illustrative em vention shown in the drawings the drive shaft'mayv be connected tothe engine or othermotor in any' desired way and macarry the series of drive pulleys 1, 42, 43 an 44 splined `or otherwiserigidly secured thereto. A

shaft 62-m`ayvr be'similarly l mounted in suit# able bearings in theframe pieces 40, 41 and may carry the driven pulleys 67, 2 vand 68rigidly securedthereto 1n any desired way as by keys of ordinaryAconstruction. The reverse shaft 39, which is usually desired, may

- be similarlymounted inthe frame members and carry .the driven'pulley'l as well as the' reverse gear 7 which meshes with the gear 73on the countershaft.' as indicated inFig.. 1. The pulleysreferred to aremounted in cooperating pairs and preferably adapted for roperfriction'al engagement with a suitable 'ctional drive `member which maybe flexible, if'de sired, `and,I nayfbe in the form, of a flat beltloosely extending over'the coperat ing pulleyaithe reverse'belt 18'assing VAover the .pulleys 423111.(1 o and the ot 17 and@ 723.A'milarly loosely e ectiv'ely ai'rsjoff coperating p leys so that-" si pis a owed between .the belts andthe flanged pulleys. unless thetightening Y means is in o eration, It `isflof 'course 4understood that'W ere desi-redi the driven shaft 91 conaresdentof' the city, county`and State'of?.New YQIk," have made cert'ain` new,andusefiglnventions vRelating to Variable-S feed- Transmission.

odim-ent of' this in-y er belts 71.,

' nectedl-withr the aide ofthe vehicle may be located substantiallyinline with the: drive shaft 45 and under these condltions suitabletransmission means, suchasthe gears 4, upon the shaft 91 and'y 5y upon.the counter-shaft may befused to vconnectthe drive shaft.y and thecounter-shaft, or. anyV other suitable connectin-may-be'used.,

he-bracket- 18 may be' rigidly,` mounted on the framev members'andformed with suitable depending lugs- 74, 7 5. fterplacing the crank 191n.- jositionbetween these l on the crankfengag'ing the bracket-so aslto normally maintain these twomembers in .proper position as shown in 3.If desired, asuitable bearingsleeve 22 may be vemployedprovided'with anoncircular bearing to accommodate Athe corresponding portion 13 of thekey shaft'A and havin an annular l groove extendinglaround its peripherywhich is en aged by t ev threaded pin 23 so that this seeve isrheldinposition in the lug'7 5 and allowed to rotate freely. with res ectthereto. The crank may .be oscillate by the operating lever 27preferablyhaving a` return spring 78 `and a suitable ratchet 30 andrelease'f28, 29 coperati with the ratchet sector 31. This operatln leveris connected by the rod 26 with the bel crank 24 turning'on the pivotrv25 and connected with the crank 19 through the pivoted link 20, as tindicated inlig. 1. 0

Be "'desb Ing oscillated to the desired extent by they operating leveras described, the key shaft may also be longitudinallymoved -tothe-desiredextent by s eedjlever 33 connected with the' shaft. by-t eshort connector 32 and swiveling collar y35. The speed leverphas the,catch `Iftnormally held in one ofthe slots in thek speed sector 3,4 by

IOO

the spring 35, but whichmay be manually A released 'from such slot bypressing the V13W@ lparts` together, as is customary. r'lhe key. shaftmay also be provided` with snitablekeys 38- and -55- adapted' tocooperate :with correspondingslots 79 in ,thetightenerllever 15 (seeFig. 4). These-levers, of whicha number are employed, asindicated, maybegrav- IIO olubly mounted from the bracket fbyform; p

ing the tightener sleeves 57 on these levers l and arranging them insuitable bearings'in lugs in the bracket, the sleeves being as' shown inFig. 4 provided With annular grooves 56 With Wli'ich'the screw pins 54cooperate. As seen in Fig. 2, the spring 1'6 l normally holdsthis'leveragainst the adj-acent edge of thebracket' so that the slot 79in each lever is 'normally held in proper position to bel engaged by thekeys 38, 55; When one of .these keys' engages the corre sponding slot arotation of the key shaft Will thereupon rotate the tightener lever,such as 15, and through the connector 14 pivoted to this lever and thetightener arm 11 this'arm y Will be swung over about the tightener rod12 carrying over the tightener in the form of 'with its drive and drivenpulleys so that the theinvention is brought into action .when

the groovedypulley or otherwise into activ'e engagement With the`-corresponding belt,v

bringing the belt into close frictional contact driven pulley isvthereupon operated, the

tightener belt assuming underf such condi-l tions the dotted positionindication in Fig. 2.

Under theseV conditions the vehicle axle is- ,gradually broughtup -tospeed, any suddenfjcksbeing vobviated by the 'slipping ofthe"ansmis'sion belt. Change of the speedof t-he vehicle can beconvenientlyedected by shifting the speed lever from the idle'pointv 60 in Which-itis shown, sothatit enga es With the desired speed notch: When in 't ereverse notch'63 'tli"e key 55 'will engage the.

tightenerlever 48 sofas to operate thereverse'tightener 51 the'other-belts being in their loose'inactive-positionlat this time.'y Thelow speed in the illustrated embodiment ofthe speed leveris thrown overto lengage the notch 66, the key 38 'engaging the tight- -ener lever "50runder these .circumstances and drivingthe vehicle at itsy lowspeedthrough the .drivepulley 44, vthe belt 72 and driven pulley y63vonthe countershaft. The 'middle speed is broujght into action when thespeed'V lever engages the notch 64, ,the key 38 under these ,conditionsengaging the s eed lever' 15 and operating the-same.' The gh speed issimilarly brought .into action when the lever .is inthe notch 65, thekey thereupon en'- ng and 'operating the 4tightener -lever 49,

ea "altliough 1t 1s, of course,vobvi ous that other" arrangements of thevarious4 'driving and driven pulleys'could. be made so that otherrelative speeds' Wouldl be available and might be brought into actionother m'ovee ments of the speed lever.

of theflat belt drivesillustrated. Under .such conditions the drivingand driven-pulleys could be madev with properly shaped.

grooves as illustrated in thecase'of the pulley 46 on the shaft45 andround or other sectioned driving belts of steel or other metal ormaterial could be used;

mounted on sai nectingsald reverse shalt and said counterb. I? desiredalso suitable rope drives could be'usedjmste-ad' Having described thisinvention in con;

vnection With an illustrative .embodiment thereof, to the details ofwhich disclosure the invention is not, of course, to be limited, what isclaimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.

i 1. In variable speed transmission gear for automobiles and the like, adrive shaft, a countershaft and a reverse shaft mounted in bearingspairs of co-operating pulleys inounted on said shafts, reverse gearsconnecting said reverse shaft and said countershait, belts normallyloosely engaging each of said pairs of drive pulleys, a bracket.provided with bearinglugs, a key shaft revolublyandslidably mounted on.said bracket and provided v With a non-circular portion, a bearingsleeve 'engaging said non-c1rcular portion and revolubly supported `in abearing in the said bracket, a crank engaging the non-circular portionof said key shaft and supported between llugs on said bracket,spring-pressed operating mechanism to oscillate said crank and keyshaft', tightener levers provided with slots rotatably mounted on said.bracket and inclosing said key shaft, springs to normally vholdsaidtightener leversin inoperative position, pivoted tightener arms,tightener pulleys mounted on said arms and connectors between said armsand tightener levers, a speed leverv connect to said key 'shaft to cause'the keys on sai fk'ey shaft to selectively engage the tightener yleversand oscillate thvc corresponding tightener into engagement IOO with itsbelt When said key shaft is oscillated -an'da speed sector.

shaft, drive kbelts normally loosely engaging each of said pairs of\dr1ve pulleys,l a bracket provided with bearing lugs, a key shaftrevoubly and slidably mounted on said bracket,

slotted tightener levers mounted on .said bracketand having sleevesinclosiiig said key shaft, springs to hold said levers in position.tightener pulleys 'coperating' with each of said belts, and connectedWith'said tightener levers, keys' lon said key shaft spaced toselectively cooperate with the slots in said tightener sleeves, a speedlever connected With said key shaft and cooperating with :i speed sectorto move and hold said key slml't and keys in engagement with saidtightener levers and' an operating lever connected to said key shafttooscill ate the same and force the connected tightener lever andtightener into cooperation With` the corresponding belt.

3. In variable speed transmission gear, a

drive shaft, a countershaft and a reverse ICI coperate with each of saidbelts andl con-j nec-,ted with said tightener levers, means to hold saidti ghteners and levers in inoperative position, keys on said key shaftto coperate with the slots in said tightener levers, a speed lever tolongitudinally move said key shaft and keys with respect to saidtightener levers and an operating lever, connected to said key shaft tooscillate the sameand force'the engage'd tightener lever and tightenerinto eo-.

operation with the corresponding belt.

4. In variable speed transmission gear, a drive shaft and a countershaftmounted in suitable bearings pairs of co-operating drive pulleys mountedon said shaft, drive belts normally loosely engaging eaeh'of said pairsof drive pulleys, a bracket, slotted tightener levers mounted on saidkey shaft, tighteners to coperate with said belts and connected withsaid tightener levers, means to normally hold said tighteners andtightener levers in inoperative position, keys on said key shaft spacedto selectively coperate With said tightener levers, a speed lever tolongitudinallyv move said key shaft and keys with respeet to saidtightener levers and means to oseiilaie said key shaft to force theengaged levers and tightener into eope'ration With the eorrl-spomlingbelt.

5. ln variable speed transmission gear, a drive shaft and a countershaftpairs of co-op- 'ei-:dimi drive pulleys mounted upon said shal'is.l'rietirmal drive members normally loosely engaging each of sald pairsof drive with said dri re members and'connected with said hgh tenerlevers, means to normally liold Said tighteners and leversin inoperativepo- 5o sition, keys on said ke shaft to coperate with the slots in saidtig tener levers, a s eed lever to longitudinally move said key s. aftand keys with respect to said tightener levers and operating means tooscillat'e saidvkey 55 shaft and tightener and force the engagedtightener into cooperation with the corresponding drive member. p l

6. In variable speed transmission gear, a drive shaft anda eountershaftpairs of co-op- 6o erating drive pulleys mounted upon said shafts,frictional drive lmembers normally loosely engaging each of said pairsof drive pulleys, an operating shaft revolubly and slidably mounted,tightener levers eoperat- 65 ing with said operating shaft, tightenersconne'oted with said levers to coperate with said `drive members, meansto normally hold said tighteners and levers in inoperative osition,

, means on said operating shaft to se eetively 7o coperate With Asaidtightener levers to actuate the same, means to move said operating shaftand means to oscillate said operating shaft to force the engagedtightener into cooperation with the corresponding drive mem- 7 5 ber.

7. In variable speed transmission gear, a drive shaft and a countershaftpairs of coperating drive pulleys mounted on said shafts, friotionaldrive members normally loosely en. 8o gaging each of said pairs of drivepulleys, an operating shaft revolubly and slidahly mounted, tightenerlevers ooperating with said operating shaft, tighteners conneelred Withsaid levers and coperating with each. of 85 said drive members, means onsaid operating shaft to selectively engage the tightener levers, meansto longitudinally move and hold in adjusted position said operatingshaft and means to oscillate said operating shaft to 9o force theengaged tightener lever and tightenerinto cooperation with thecorresponding drive member.

y PATRICK F. FOLEY. Witnesses:

HARRY L. DUNCAN JEsslE B. KAY.

